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My wife and I wanted a second fridge for the garage. We were thinking something cheap, just used to hold beer and soda and water bottles etc in the summer. In the winter it would be cleaned and off.
The dude at Lowe's said we could not use any refrigerator they carry, as it had to now be garage-rated for that use. He could order one. (Gladiator: $1,000). This "garage - rated" fridge is three times the cost of the $350 regular models we had in mind. Are they right? Your advice?
My "garage" fridge/freezer does not stay cold in the winter...basically useless when it's 35 or colder outside (my garage gets cold). But I only keep what you said in it, so I just unplug and leave it open during the cold months. If you won't use it in winter why spend the extra $$ to keep it working when it's cold out?
Find something used that is the right size for your needs and don't worry about that "garage rating." Smells like BS to get you to buy something just invented.
__________________ "All bad precedents begin with justifiable measures."
Julius Caesar
I have a 10+ year old "normal" fridge in the garage that runs year-round. It even keeps up on the 100 degree days we have down here in Florida. Check your local classifieds
I know a lot of folks who have "camps" that are not heated in the winter. They all use regular refridgerators and no one has ever told me about a problem. There may be a little more dampness in a garage but that will only cause a little quicker rusting.
Put the new fridge in your house and move the old one to the garage. Just be careful your wife doesnt go into a redecorating frenzy! You can probably find a few good candidates for your garage, in the local classified ads if you dont want to risk it or spend that much money.
Good luck!
__________________ I'm not a boat expert, I just read THT!
6 years ago I bought a used fridge for $35 out of the local paper.....fullsize with a freezer box on top. It keeps the beer cold but needs to be thawed out every 9-10 months.
They don't make em like they used to.
__________________ 2002 Key West 2300 Bluewater
Yamaha 225 OX66
2003 F250 Crew Cab Fx4 7.3L Turbo Diesel
Take a Fish Boating!
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -Thomas Jefferson
The salesman was not handing you a line. I used to have a house in the mountains in upstate New York. I left ice cream in it and would come back to find it melted. I would turn up the heat for the week and it would start to cool again. It happened twice more and I figured I'd get a new fridge. I was listening to the news on the radio and heard a piece on refrigerators for the garage. I immediately made sense. There are refrigerators that shut down when the temps drop below 55 degrees. I had set the stat at 50 to save oil. I set the heat for 55 from then on and never had the problem again.
The salesman was not handing you a line. I used to have a house in the mountains in upstate New York. I left ice cream in it and would come back to find it melted. I would turn up the heat for the week and it would start to cool again. It happened twice more and I figured I'd get a new fridge. I was listening to the news on the radio and heard a piece on refrigerators for the garage. I immediately made sense. There are refrigerators that shut down when the temps drop below 55 degrees. I had set the stat at 50 to save oil. I set the heat for 55 from then on and never had the problem again.
That may be true for your situation but the OP said he wanted it for drinks and stuff in the summer and would not use it in the winter. I've had a "mid-sized" cheapo refer in my garage for a year or so now and it does the job - keeps the beer cold. Some of it froze during a cold snap last fall though.
__________________ Proud member of Professor Eyeball, Esq., MD, MBA's ignore list since 2008.
Find something used that is the right size for your needs and don't worry about that "garage rating." Smells like BS to get you to buy something just invented.
Yep. Find a used one online for cheap and run it until it dies.
It might also have to do with the electric motor in the frig. Most electric motors spark when running. If you have your car in the garage and it has a fuel leak your going to have an explosion. Im sure it is purely a safety issue. If you dont park in the garage or dont care then it isnt an issue.
Refrigerator Advice 
2003 F250 Crew Cab Fx4 7.3L Turbo Diesel
